The past and future open library
Panorama Rooms | Wed 22 Jan 9:10 a.m.–10:10 a.m.
Presented by
Abstract
Openness is a cornerstone of library practice. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institution (IFLA) Code of Ethics charges librarians and information workers to “promote the principles of open access, open source, and open licenses.” The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has “promotion of the free flow of information and ideas through open access to recorded knowledge, information, and creative works” as a core value.
But why? Come on a potted (and somewhat selective) journey through the development of the western conceptualisation of libraries, examining the roots of libraries’ love affair with open and their onward journeys. Thinking about how and why libraries and open came together gives us some tools to consider the future of openness in libraries. How do libraries work with legacy collections and structures? Where is the balance between practicality and advocacy? How do we work with new technologies, and the unknowable future? What present do we want, and what future are we enabling?
Openness is a cornerstone of library practice. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institution (IFLA) Code of Ethics charges librarians and information workers to “promote the principles of open access, open source, and open licenses.” The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has “promotion of the free flow of information and ideas through open access to recorded knowledge, information, and creative works” as a core value.
But why? Come on a potted (and somewhat selective) journey through the development of the western conceptualisation of libraries, examining the roots of libraries’ love affair with open and their onward journeys. Thinking about how and why libraries and open came together gives us some tools to consider the future of openness in libraries. How do libraries work with legacy collections and structures? Where is the balance between practicality and advocacy? How do we work with new technologies, and the unknowable future? What present do we want, and what future are we enabling?